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Tag: NEMA

  • NEMA rejects House report on mismanagement of N33b, ecological fund

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA ) yesterday rejected the report of the House of Representatives committee which indicted it of poor management of relief items meant for 16 states.

    In a statement last night, NEMA said:  “The House of Representatives, at its sitting of 8th November 2018 received the Report of the House Committee on Emergency and Preparedness Response on the alleged violation of public trust against the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

    “We were shocked to hear some of the findings and conclusions presented by the Committee on the issues, which did not reflect the facts and documents placed before it by NEMA.

    “While we shall in due course be making a more comprehensive response to all the points made, it is most important to clarify the following:

    “On the Port Clearance and Transportation of Emergency Food Assistance by Chinese Government, the Federal Government received a total of 6,779MT of Rice for IDPs in the North East as donation by the Chinese Government. This amounted to 271 containers, which arrived Apapa Ports between June and October 2017.

    “The processes of securing duty exemption, waivers and other related issues took several months, but the total quantity was subsequently cleared from the Apapa Port, transported and delivered to NEMA warehouses in the North East. It was thereafter distributed to the IDPs in the States of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe. Documents on the transaction, including distribution to the IDPs were made available to the Committee.

    “The correct total value of the rice is about N2.25 Billion (50 Million Chinese Yuan) and the amount spent on clearing, demurrage and storage was about N450 Million, not the N800 Million as alleged by the Committee.

    “On EFCC Investigation of the suspended staff (employees) of NEMA, the suspension of the Six (6) NEMA officers was a decision of its Governing Council based on the Interim Report of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which indicted them for financial misappropriation.

    “The suspension was in line with Public Service Rules and the extant Guidelines on Appointment, Promotion and Discipline.

    “On the approval of N1.6 billion granted by the Federal Government for the Procurement and Delivery of Relief Items to 16 States affected by Flood in 2017, due process was observed in the procurement of the relief items and all items meant for the 16 states were received and acknowledged by respective State Governments. Documents evidencing the acknowledgement of the items were made available to the House Committee.

    “The evacuation of stranded Nigerians from Libya was a multi-agency operation. Two Thousand, One Hundred and Thirty (2,130) Nigerians were evacuated in the operation.

    I’m the report, the House committee recommended the sack of NEMA Managing Director Mustapha Maihaja.

    “Based on the investigation conducted by the Committee, it has been established that the Federal Government of Nigeria lost a total sum of over N33 billion as a result of mismanagement of funds occasioned by the actions or inactions of the Managing Director of NEMA.

    ” It is consequently recommended that the Director General be relieved of his duties by the President, Commander in Chief, Federal Republic of Nigeria and be handed over to relevant authorities for prosecution,” the report of the committee said.

    The House also resolved to launch a comprehensive investigation into the receipt and utilization of 20 per cent Ecological Fund to NEMA over the years.

    While considering the Hon. Ali Isa-headed committee’s report on “Need to Investigate the Violation of Public Trust in the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA),” also adopted the recommendations that:

    “On the issue of donation of 6,779 metric tons of rice by Chinese Government for IDP’s in the North East, the House said the EFCC and ICPC should further investigate NEMA and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Budget and National Planning as it was never received by the beneficiaries.

    “that the ICPC, EFCC and Police should ensure recovery of the payment of about N800m demurrage from the concerned officers of the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Ministry of Agriculture and NEMA.

    “that the suspension of six staff of NEMA by its management is an abuse of power, against the extant public service rules and a gross violation of Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

    “That the affected staff (employees) be immediately re-instated by NEMA and the appropriate authorities and all their arrears of entitlements paid: Mr.  Akinbola Hakeem -Director, Finance and Accounts, Alhassan Nuhu – Director Disaster & Risk Reduction, Mr. Emenike Umesi – Ag. Director, Special Duties, Mohammed Kanar -Deputy Director Welfare, Mr. Mamman Ibrahim  – DD Captain of the Air Ambulance and Yunusa Deji Ganiyu – Asst. Chief Administrative Officer.”

    “That the ICPC and EFCC should further investigate the matter and recover the sum of N700m from Maihaja, who is the Accounting Officer of the Agency.”

    “That all the government officials involved in the approval, processing, release and diversion of the sum of N5.8billion for the emergency intervention of food security in the North East, which contravened the provisions of S.80(2) and 80(4) of the Constitution, infraction of due process for procurement and loss of government revenue, flouting of the terms of the Eurobond loan are hereby indicted and the relevant Security Agencies should take steps to recover the money from them;

    “That the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) being a banker to the Federal Government should not be involved in giving loans to private companies. Consequently, the N2billion said to be given to four named companies is a fundamental infraction and should be further investigated.”

    On the issue of release of N3, 153,000,000.00 to NEMA for food intervention to the North-East, the House recommended

    “that ICPC and EFCC should recover N1,150,000,000.00 being subsidised cost of 5000 metric tons of rice from the present Director General of NEMA, Eng. Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja, who claimed to have donated same to World Food Programme (WFP) when they were ready to pay for it or import same;

    On the question of unaccounted N17, 889,050,401 released from Ecological Fund to NEMA, the House recommended:

    “That NEMA should submit through the appropriate authority all the Ecological funds accruing to it yearly to the National Assembly for Appropriation in order to meet the Constitutional requirements.

    “That a comprehensive investigation into the receipt and utilization of 20% Ecological Fund to NEMA over the years be carried out by the House.”

  • Reps want NEMA boss sacked over alleged mismanagement of resources

    The House of Representatives on Thursday, urged President Muhammadu Buhari, to relieve the Managing Director of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Mustapha Maihaja of his duties over alleged mismanagement of resources.

    This followed the adoption of a report of the House Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness at plenary.

    According to Chairman of the committee, Rep. Ali Isa, based on the investigation conducted, it has been established that the Federal Government lost over N33 billion as a result of mismanagement by Maihaja.

    “This is as a result of mismanagement or outright embezzlement of funds occasioned by actions or inactions of the Managing Director of NEMA, Mr Mustapha Maihaja,’’ Isa said.

    He also expressed reservation over the handling of the 6,779 metric tonnes of rice donated for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in the Northeast by the Chinese Government.

    “On the issue of donation of 6,779 metric tonnes of rice by the Chinese Government for IDPs in the Northeast, the House condemned the negligence.

    “It also condemned the inefficiency of the Ministry of Budget and National Planning and NEMA for the long delay in the collection of the donated rice from the port terminal.

    “The Committee therefore called on anti graft agencies to investigate and prosecute all those involved.

    “The ICPC, EFCC and Police should ensure recovery of the payment of about N800 million demurrage from the concerned officers of the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Ministry of Agriculture and NEMA.

    “They should further investigate the conflicting testimonies of the above agencies to determine whether there were multiple payments for the demurrage,” Isa said. (NAN)

  • NEMA receives another batch of 149 Nigerians from Libya

    The National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ) has received another batch of 149 stranded Nigerians from Libya.

    The returnees arrived at the Cargo Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at about 1.20 am on Friday.

    They were brought back in a Buraq Airlines Boeing 737-8000 aircraft with registration number 5A-DMG by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) under its Assisted Voluntary Return Programme.

    Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, spokesperson for NEMA, South West Zone, said the majority of the returnees came back from Tripoli, the capital city of the volatile North African country.

    Farinloye said they comprised of 81 adult males, 56 adult females, two male children, eight male infants, one female child and two female infants.

    One of the returnees, Ms Aminat Sunday, told newsmen that she worked as a maid during her stay in Libya, adding that she was lured to the country due to family burdens and persuasion from her trafficker.

    The 29-years-old lady who hails from Ifo Local Government Area (LGA) of Ogun state, said she regretted embarking on the journey as she had a very difficult experience in Libya.

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    According to her, she paid her trafficker with her full year wages after arriving in Libya.

    “I was working as a housemaid cleaning tiles but the work made me to come back home because it is very stressful, tiring and have serious health problems on my body.

    “To be sincere, Nigeria is far better than Libya, I have learned my lessons in wrong way but thank God I am still alive,” Sunday said.
    She therefore advised other youths to learn from her experience and shun the urge of irregular migration in search of greener pastures.

  • Flood: Adamawa victims call for urgent intervention

    Persons affected by recent flood disasters in Adamawa have appealed to the Federal Government to come to their aid to ease their hardship.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that between July and September this year, thousands of people were affected by the flood in 18 out of 21 local government areas of the state.

    Findings revealed that majority of the affected communities were those located close to River Benue.

    Majority of the victims are currently living as IDPs in temporary camps provided by state government across the state.

    In separate interviews with NAN in Fufore ,Yola South and Girei Local Government Areas, the victims said they lost almost all their belongings to the flood.

    Mr. John Garba ,a rice farmer from Njoboliyo village in Fufore said he lost all his property in early August this year due to heavy downpour that caused the flood.

    ” Following the heavy flood in August this year, I lost my house and three of my rice farmlands.

    ” Since then, I and my family have been squatting in my neighbours’ house and had not received any assistance from anybody,” he lamented.

    Alhaji Usman Barde, a large scale rice and maize farmer from Girei area , equally said that the flood had submerged his maize farms.

    ” Last year ,I harvested over five hundred bags of maize, but this year, due to the flood disaster , it will be difficult for me to harvest even one hundred bags ” Barde said.

    Read Also: Osinbajo visits Bayelsa, Rivers flood victims

    Also lamenting, Malam Umar Hassan , a resident of Yolde-Pate village in Yola South said that the flood completely destroyed his house.

    Hassan said he had been forced to take refuge in one of the temporary camp set up by State Emergency Management Agency in Yolde-Pate. and had not received any assistance from government.

    Reacting, Dr Muhammad Sulaiman, Executive Secretary of Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA) said a total of 357, 343 individuals, 7,893 Houses and 95,474 farmlands were affected.

    He said that the State Emergency Management Agency had forwarded the information to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for possible intervention.

    When contacted about the development, Mr Slako Lugard, the NEMA Head of Emergency Operation Centres ( EOC) in charge of Adamawa ,Benue and Taraba said that they had carried out inspections and assessment of all the affected areas in Adamawa.

    ” We have submitted our findings to the headquarters and are waiting for their response to enable us reach out to the victims. ” Lugard said.

  • Boko Haram displaces 1,300 in Borno, says NEMA

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) yesterday said 12 farmers were killed and 1,300 others displaced in separate attacks coordinated by Boko Haram insurgents in Borno State.

    NEMA’s Northeast Zonal Coordinator Bashir Garga stated this in a statement in Maiduguri, the state capital.

    Garba said the insurgents killed 12 farmers on their fields on Saturday afternoon at Kalle village, 17 kilometres from Maiduguri.

    “They used machetes to kill their victims who were working on their farms, as confirmed by members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF).

    “So far, we recovered 12 bodies from the fields and nearby bush.

    “Three persons were injured in the raids. The insurgents had guns, but did not use them so as not to attract the attention of troops in nearby Molai village,” he said.

    Garga said the Boko Haram insurgents stepped up attacks on farmers and loggers in recent years because they accuse them of passing information to the military.

    The coordinator added that one person was killed and 1,300 others displaced when the insurgents sacked three communities on Saturday night in Jere Local Government Area.

    Garga listed the affected communities as Dala-Malari, Fuguri and Femari.

    The NEMA zonal coordinator urged the residents to be vigilant and report suspicious movements and persons to security agents.

    He said: “Attacks on soft targets are the hallmarks of the insurgents due to increased military clampdown that has curtailed their activities.

    “Humanitarian partners were being mobilised to cater for the victims as soon as possible.”

    Also, troops at the weekend repelled an attack by Boko Haram on Mairari and Femari communities in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the insurgents attacked the communities at about 8.30 p.m, killed one person, set houses ablaze and carted away food items.

  • Osinbajo visits Bayelsa flood victims, says disaster is monumental

    The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Friday described the flood that ravaged some communities in Bayelsa as a “monumental disaster.”

    Osinbajo who spoke at the Internally Displaced People’s (IDP) camp, Igbogene, on the outskirt of Yenagoa, said his visit was to assess the extent of damage caused by the flood.

    He said that he undertook an over-fly on a helicopter from the Port Harcourt International Airport through the flooded communities in Rivers and those within Yenagoa metropolis.

    The vice president observed that the exercise had made him realise the degree of suffering the flood had thrown many of the victims into.

    Osinbajo commended the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and its state counterpart, (SEMA) for their efforts in assisting the flood victims.

    He pledged the assistance of the Federal Government to resettle the victims and provide them means of livelihood to start life anew as soon as the flood was over.

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    He said his visit along with with the Director-General of NEMA and the Minister of Environment was to demonstrate the seriousness the federal government attached to the welfare of flood victims.

    The vice president also assured the people that as soon as he returned to Abuja the federal government would “restrategise” and get back to the state.

    Osinbajo further said that government was working on how to ensure that such emergency did not occur in future, by embarking on dredging of water channels and constructing canals.

    He urged the people to avoid dumping solid wastes into water channels to aviod flooding.

    The vice president pledged government would ensure that the babies delivered in the IDP camps were “perfectly and well cared for.”

    Also speaking, Gov. Seriake Dickson, described Bayelsa as the most impacted state across the federation, saying the state is situated below sea level.

    “You saw personally the extent of the devastation. This is the state mostly affected whenever there is flooding. This state is below sea level,” he said.

    The governor said the state government was doing all it could to care for the displaced people.

    According to him, apart from the 13 IDP camps already set up, additional three would be established to contain the increasing number of people displaced by flood.

    He expressed readiness of the state government to collaborate with the federal government for long term solution to the problem of flooding in the state.

    The governor lamented the insufficient quantity of relief materials supplied by NEMA.

  • Flood: ‘17,631 people in need of relief materials in Niger’

    The National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ), on Tuesday said that 17,631 residents of Niger affected by the recent flood were in urgent need of relief materials.

    Malam Idris Mohammed, Incident Commander in Charge of Emergency Operation Center (EOC) for Niger, Kwara and Kebbi, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Minna.

    Mohammed explained that the team was deployed to put together a coordinated assessment of the three states and help guide the Federal Government provide support to the victims.

    He said that “131,432 persons are affected while 17, 631 are internally displaced and 17,154 people in various communities are affected.

    “The 17,631 affected persons are in need of relief materials such as foods and shelter.

    “Forty-nine persons lost their lives during the flood and 65 were injured while 2430 houses were affected and 27,632 hectares of farmlands was washed away.

    “Some of the victims are taking shelter in camps while majority of them are living with friends and relatives in other communities.

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    “We are in the state to do needs assessment and send report to the federal government for relief intervention such as foods, medicals, household utensils and long term rehabilitation of affected persons.

    He said that the agency had been working with the State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) to compile and coordinate assessment.
    Mohammed said that NEMA had started providing relief materials to the affected local government areas in collaboration with the state government,” he said.

    NAN reports that NEMA officials commenced moves to assist flood victims in Niger, following a directive from Vice President Yemi Osinbajo during his recent visit to the IDP camp in Zungeru.

  • Libyan returnee delivers baby at cargo wing of Lagos Airport

    ….. As 161 returns to Nigeria

     

    A pregnant Libyan returnee on Friday went into labour shortly after arrival at the cargo wing of the Murtala Muhamnmed International Airport, Lagos and was delivered of a baby by a combined team of medical personnel.

    The baby was delivered at bare floor of tarmac.

    The mother was among 12 pregnant returnees of the 161 Nigerians brought back to the country under the assistance programme facilitated by the International Organization of Migration (IOM).

    National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Friday received the 50th flight of voluntary assisted returnees from Libya.

    The Flights brought the total number of Returnees to 10,000 Returnees specifically from Libya since April, 2017.

    On Friday morning, NEMA received 161 Returnees from the IOM with 9 medical cases, 12 pregnant women and one 7 year old unaccompanied minor.

    Amongst the 161 were 147 adults, 4 children and 10 infants.

    Earlier on Tuesday, NEMA had received a batch of 149 returnees making a total 310 Returnees brought back in the week.

    The Zonal Coordinator of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Alh Suleman Yakubu on behalf of Federal Government thanked the IOM and other development partners on their humanitarian efforts on the Special Assisted Voluntary Repatriation.

    Represented by Mr. Seguin Afolayan that the Coordinator noted that since the MOU with IOM in 2011, the synergy and partnership of UN agency has smooth and improving delivery service by Nigerian Agency.

  • NEMA: Welcome Back My Country

    Human beings are prone to calamities which, in most cases, are beyond human imagination and control.  These calamities are capable of causing untold physical and emotional stress to every discerning mind.  Occurrences like fire outbreaks, chemical spill, flood disasters, gun attacks, insurgents’ activities and even physical threats among several others could result to emergency situations.  People don’t pray for disasters to happen but they pray to see a helper when it happens.
    Emergency situations as enumerated above, sometimes occur from natural causes or otherwise.  However, the varying causes notwithstanding, a practical understanding of such situations and adequate responses to them will reduce their impacts and increase people’s chances of survival.
    The management of such emerging situations in Nigeria is the statutory responsibility of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).  And this very important Agency has consistently played significant roles in emergency situations, particularly the recent efforts to addressing issues relating to flood disasters and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the middle belt and northeast axis where activities of gunmen and insurgency are pervasive.
    NEMA was established, through Act 12 as amended by Act 50 of 1999, to manage natural and man-made disasters in Nigeria.  The agency was designed to formulate policy on all activities relating to disaster management and coordinate the plans and programmes for efficient and effective response to disasters at national level.
    But how did Nigerians perceived NEMA’s activities and reactions to emergency situations in the country?  Going down memory lane, many Nigerians considered the performance of NEMA in the discharge of its responsibilities as abysmal and far below expectations.
    The Agency was perceived to be bad in all departments – poor policy formulation and planning; inadequate data collation and report from relevant agencies to enhance forecasting, planning and field operations; poor capacity and ability to coordinate activities of other stakeholders in disaster management; and unacceptable response time in emergency situations.
    But the current management in NEMA under the leadership of the Director General, Engr. Mustapha Maihaja has transformed the Agency beyond imaginations.  The newly improved NEMA has developed capacity for effective and efficient disaster management in Nigeria.
    Many of us are still oblivious that NEMA has greater capacity to reasonably deliver on its statutory obligations under the current leadership of Engr. Maihaja.  The Agency recorded impressive strides in the area of timely response to emergency situations across the country and has been consistently visible and effectively felt in crisis situations.  Its visibility is clearly demonstrated especially in the humanitarian crisis in Boko Haram infested region of the northeastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.
    Engr. Mustapha Maihaja is desirous to bringing succour to victims of emergency situations by giving palliatives to ameliorate the suffering and pains that comes with it.  The DG said that “one key parameter in disaster management was prompt response by the Agency ”.
    NEMA’s commitment was indeed reflected in the improved and timely response accorded to not only the internally displaced persons (IDPS) in the Northeast, but victims of the recent flood disasters across the states.  The flooding was virtually in all geopolitical zones of the country which left hundreds of thousands homeless.  Houses, farmlands, barnyards, resident estates, and commercial plazas are submerged while affected victims depended on NEMA for their shelter and feedings.
    NEMA’s commitment and efficiency was also felt by those adversely affected by mass deportation and repatriation from foreign countries, especially Mali and Libya where many Nigerians ended up in search of green pastures.
    Only recently, the people of Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State were so impressed with the almost clinical performance of NEMA and praised them highly for a job well done.  They are particularly happy that internally displaced and distressed individuals are properly given medical attention and food items. They noted that camps are being constructed and mobile clinics were set up to carter for medical need.  To the people of Dikwa, it is a great departure from what obtained in the past.
    Engr. Mustapha Maihaja has successfully domesticated in NEMA the global best practices of disaster risk reduction which emphasizes disaster prediction, hazards’ analysis, resilient capacity building and awareness creation.  The agency also distributed relief materials to victims of disasters in emergency situations across the country and to other needy nations.
    NEMA success in this regards earned it the respect of some foreign institutions and bodies who partner with the agency mostly on capacity building. The United Nation’s humanitarian agency, World Food programmes (WFP), visited NEMA and commended its initiatives and programmes in addressing disaster related problems in Nigeria.
    The Vision of Engr. Maihaja is to elevate NEMA to a world class status in the nearest future.  He identified some gaps and shortcomings of the agency, and organized several workshops to share its understanding to review, to enforce and re-position NEMA in a way that it can better operate efficiently, effectively to gear it towards the envisaged world-class agency.
    And as part of his restructuring strategies, Engr. Maihaja has been very creative and innovative.  The DG underscores the need for the agency to create a response and recovery department in line with the best world practices.  Maihaja said the department would encompass search, rescue and recovery as a result of any emergency.
    To complement its capacity building initiatives in NEMA, Engr. Mustapha Maihaja’s led team is committed to an improved workers welfare package and human capital development.  As a show of dedication, management recently approved new and enhanced condition of service for staff of the agency.
    The DG reiterated the need for improved welfare scheme commensurate with what is obtainable in other countries. He initiated the process to commence the 2018 promotion exercise in the agency, and went even further to secure approval from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) for Group Life Insurance for Staff in view of increasing emergency needs.
    The agency has fostered strong working relationship with all relevant national and international agencies including the United Nations Institutions for the reduction of disaster. Engr. Maihaja’s aim is to strengthen modern administrative and managerial skills as well as technological advancement to boost efficiency in NEMA.

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    The change of guard that brought Engr. Mustapha Maihaja on board as DG NEMA is a blessing that has transformed the Agency positively.  NEMA’s recent outing and its proactive responses have demonstrated that the system is back in line with the vision of our founding fathers.
    The ever resilient, pertinacious and dogged DG, Engr. Maihaja whom since assuming the leadership of NEMA, has restlessly traverse all the nooks and crannies of affected states despite obvious challenges.  Maihaja and NEMA are doing everything possible to lift up our citizens who are faced with various disasters in and outside Nigeria.
    Engr. Mustapha Maihaja’s great stride in NEMA is a testimony that Nigeria is back and working for the masses.

  • NEMA warns Kogi residents against early return to homes

    The National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ) on Tuesday warned residents displaced by the recent flood disaster in Kogi against returning to their homes.

    The NEMA Head of Operations in charge of Abuja and Kogi, Mr Bitrus Samuel, who gave the warning in Lokoja, said it was too early for residents to return to their homes, although the water had started receding.

    He said that the water level in the River Niger stood at 10.76 centimetres as at Oct. 2, noting that NEMA would advise appropriately on when it would be safe for people to return to their houses.

    Samuel disclosed also that people in Internally Displaced Camps were being provided with foods and drugs regularly, saying that the agency had just taken delivery of new consignment of drugs and medicines.

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    According to him, outbreak of epidemic has not been reported in any of the camps, due to the prevailing high level of hygiene being maintained by state and Federal Governments officials.